Drinking Tales
by Asher Elric
Summary: During the last years of the Golden Age of Piracy CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow and his crew must find Blackbeard's Armada and defeat them in a desisive battle that will spell out the future freedom of the Caribbean.
1. Chapter 1

Summary – Jack tries to fill in Bootstraps shoes – by teaching Will Jr. how to drink correctly. This is a sequel of sorts to **Drink, Cuss and Fight like a Pirate**.

Disclaimer – I do not own!

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_**Drinking Tales**_

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"Jack, I don't think this is a good idea…" Will said as Jack led him into the Captains cabin. Jack gave Will a look that said 'You'll do as I say' and went about rummaging for a hidden bottle of rum he knew he had kept in here. Jack finally found it and had Will sit at the huge round table that had continued its stay even after Jack had gotten he Pearl back.

"Will, I promised ye father that when ye reached a good solid age, that I'd teach ya how ta drink," Jack explained.

"What? My Dad didn't really trust you in that way did he?" Will asked.

"Will, my boy, you wound me!" Jack sighed as he also sat. He brought out two small drinking glasses and poured the rum into each.

"Besides, your Elizabeth held her rum," Jack said.

"Elizabeth told me she faked it the whole time," Will replied with a raised eyebrow.

"Did she? I wondered why a women of stature didn't fall over…" Jack muttered.

"Drink up! Go on, Billy could always beat me at drinkin'," Jack laughed and threw back his own drink. Will followed, but at a more sedated pace, and almost coughed it back up. Jack laughed at this and poured some more rum.

"Ye get used ta it!" Jack laughed.

"I don't know if I want too," Will replied.

"Come now, would I teach ye if I didn't think ye could?" Jack asked.

"No, you'd expect me," Will replied. The two downed their drinks.

"See, was that so bad?" Jack asked.

"Elizabeth will have my head," Will muttered. Jack smirked.

"What would ta word be like if ta women never yelled at us, daft men?"

"Probably less noisy," Will replied. This sent Jack into another burst of laughter.

"Ah, ye've the humor of ye father, yup, Bill always had a witty remark,"

"How else am I like my father?" Will asked.

"Well, ye look like 'im; that's why I go me onesies all confused that first time we 'ad faught. Though, Billy never thought me ta fight fare. But I guess that's ta way ye grew up…"

"And, ye father would 'ad taken ye to join us on ta Pearl; he wanted ye to be a sailing man! Like me!" Jack puffed his chest out, and Will laughed at this.

"I'm not sure if I wanted to be like you…maybe Blackbeard…"

"Oi! Ye not be lookin' up at me! Ye wound me badly by that dear William…" Jack shook his head and then poured more rum for them both.

"Blackbeard may be a good pirate, but he ain't as good as me!" Jack said.

"Why would that be?" Will asked.

"Because – I am _Captain_ Jack Sparrow…"

Will rolled his eyes; "There be no other pirate like me in a thousand years!"

"Your right, Jack, there ever won't be another daft pirate like you," Will said. Jack shook his head, and then glared at Will. The other just smiled and knocked back the rum.

"Anyroad…ye ever heard of ta time I really did run into ol' Blackbeard?" Jack asked.

"No, but I have a feeling that your going to tell me," Will replied. Jack poured more rum, and began his tale. It took most of the night to tell it, but neither cared much.

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**END**

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A/N – I know that there may be no plot to this one either. But I didn't really have one in mind. It just wrote itself. I hope you liked it. As for Jack, I am still not sure about his character. So till I get a good idea, I shall be writing small one shots till I do. Please tell me if I have him OOC in this. I'd like to know so that I can fix it. I also tried to keep the slang consistent, but sometimes I had to write it proper.

Ta,

Poppy


	2. Chapter 2

_**Drinking Tales**_

_**Summary – In which Jack sends a Letter and Will Replies.**_

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_Dear Whelp,_

_I bet you didn't know that I could write? Could you? Well I can, so there! Not all pirates can read and write, but I can. Aren't I just a genius? And yes, I do know what the word means. Why shouldn't I?_

_Anyway, I just wanted to know if your Elizabeth found out about the rum? She's dead set against the drink, ain't she? I have never had the pleasure to meet another woman like her. Anna Maria doesn't count; she's been a sailor since she could walk. Can't say that much about Elizabeth…but all women have their points, don't they?_

_Ran into a squall just last week; tore out our mast and we had to get new sails. It's taken forever to die them black, but I love that color! C'mon, who doesn't want to run when they see black sails? Besides, with ol' Blackbeard trying to out me on the Caribbean, what else am I supposed to do? He's been poaching on my seas for long enough I just can't seem to get rid of the git! _

_With our mast gone, we'll have to wait to get the old pirate; but that won't stop him from raiding. So, if I was you, I'd warn your Norrington friend to be on the look out. The ship of Blackbeard's actually looks a bloody lot like **the Dauntless**. But has a mermaid on the front of it. Beware! Beware! Beware!_

_Errr – I just wanted to put that in because it sounded neat there!_

_So, how's Elizabeth? Have you two gotten married yet? Apologies that I couldn't be there; but I do have your wedding gift and shall give it to you the next time I see you. Which would mean for us to have a get together with some rum I picked up in…what was that country...? America, I think it was. They're getting ready to fight the good ol' fight with Britain! _

_I couldn't believe it at first; the colonies are up in arms over a tea tax! But they say it isn't really about the tea tax, they said they wouldn't have cared if they had a someone in England that could tell the King what was honestly going on in the Colonies. Either way, they're talking about a 'Declaration of Independence"._

_They'll hang if they don't win; now, don't mistake me here, dear William; I am pirate through and through. But this situation may be productive, and so I shall watch it closely and advance when I see the opportune moment!_

_Everyone says ahoy, and wishes you luck._

_Cheers mate! CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow_

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_Two Months later_

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_**Dear CAPTAIN Jack(ass)**_

_**Everything is fine here; Blackbeard did raid Port Royal, but Elizabeth is fine as am I. We got married the week before your letter arrived and I managed to get us a small cottage that is more inland that by the ocean. Which probably saved us in the end. Inlanders don't have to worry much about Pirates.**_

_**Sorry about the Black Pearl; and I most certainly agree that you must keep up appearances, can't have people going about thinking that Sparrow is a coward, now can we? It just wouldn't be right! And no…she hasn't a clue! And don't you go about telling her either. She'd never let me see you again! And yes, I am joking but I shant put it past her!**_

_**Jack, and here I thought you were illiterate! Read and write and a damn good speller I see. I shall have to amend some of my theories about you; where you grew up and that sort of thing. However, I am glad, now we can at least write letters even though it'll take ages for them to get to us. **_

_**America, I think that naming their country before there even is one is sort of egotistical of them; but the King has gotten rather…dense about certain things going on that doesn't concentrate in England itself. I know for a fact that the tea taxes have gotten expensive in Port Royale along with coffee. However, coffee is rather easily come upon and so Elizabeth and I have stopped drinking tea all together.**_

_**I look forward to your next visit and I do hope to share some rum with you. But if you get me drunk, I shall have to give you a black eye in the morning**_

_**Cheers to you mate, BLACKSMITH Will Turner**_

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_**Three months later**_

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_William,_

_Not much to say; actually everything has been going quite well. Blackbeard ain't been seen in months now and I am hoping that he is clearing off. Though I don't expect it._

_I also don't have a lot of time to write this. I am in the middle of pirating a vessel bound for your port of call and so wished for them to take this note to you. Do not worry, we haven't killed anyone and they were quite happy to see me. I can't believe it! I ain't the scrounge of the Spanish Main any longer!_

_I'll just have to rectify that._

_Cheers, CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Drinking Tales**_

_**Summary – Jack pays a visit to the Turner house hold.**_

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It was dark by the time the small dinghy plowed softly onto the sand strew shore. The moon was full and the ocean calm, there was a slight wind and on this wind was the sent of coconuts and banana's. Jack took a long deep breath of this wind and let it out softly. He knew it was dangerous to come back to this island. But he had to see Will, and Elizabeth.

He hopped out of his dinghy and tied the rope to a stake that he tacked a couple of yards away from the dinghy; then he took off into the forest surrounding Port Royal. By this time, the port was still alive and going, if only fueled by ruffians and pirates, and other sorts that no honorable citizen would have mixed with. The ruffians took pride in their muscles, while the pirates whiled their time away by downing rum. Jack didn't mind not having any rum, he would rather see Will anyway.

About a mile into the rain forest; jack turned west and inland he was quickly coming too; he could still hear and smell the ocean, but he saw why it was prudent for Will and Elizabeth to make their home more inland that at sea; at least, inland, you didn't have to worry about pirates. Now, wild animals and thieves were another thing all together, mind you, a pirate was not a thief, a thief was not a pirate, and it was as simple as that.

After walking a few more miles; Jack finally saw a cottage, it was a bit dark to see its surroundings, but he could tell that it stood in a grove of palm trees. All the windows were lit from the inside, and as Jack snuck closer, he saw that Will was reading the paper. Jack went up to the front door and knocked.

He heard Will curse as he tripped over something; curse abut the time of night it was and when his friend finally opened the door, Jack gave him the most shocked look he could come up with and not smirk while doing it!

"Jack?"

"_Captain_ Jack!"

"Well, I knew that, what I don't know is why you're here," Will said, stepping to the side he let Jack enter. They both moved to the parlor.

"Just a social call, mate! We're stocking up and so I thought I'd just stop by, where is Elizabeth?"

"Elizabeth went to spend a couple of months in England; her Aunt is sick and may die soon, I'm holding down the fort," Will replied.

"I'm sorry to hear that, but I can't say that I ain't glad that the lass ain't here, so, where's the rum?" Jack asked as he flopped down on the sofa. Will laughed and got up. He went to the window seat that looked onto the front yard of the house. He lifted up the lid and rummaged through the stacks of books that he had put there. Finally he got to the bottom.

"Elizabeth hired the builder for our cottage, I picked out the location; the builder put a fake bottom here, he said that I may need it. So, when I was looking for a place to hide the rum, I thought of this, and it has worked so far, I don't dig it out often," Will said as he returned with a bottle of expensive rum. Not that Jack cared, rum was rum but he could tell the difference between. This was spiced rum; and in all truth, he liked it.

"So, have you two decided on having kids yet?" Jack asked.

"We've tried, but it just won't work, I don't know what I am doing wrong," Will said.

"I'm sorry to here that, I'm sure with enough practice, you'll get it," Jack smirked.

"I hope so, Elizabeth says that her biological clock is ticking and if she doesn't have a child soon…she'll go crazy. I have enough craziness to deal with when your around, I don't think I can handle Elizabeth is she can't stand straight and goes about asking where all the rum had gone," Will replied.

"I see; she's got the mother vibe going on! Anna Maria is getting that way too, but she ain't just sleeping with anyone…"

"Has she roped you into the world of marriage?"

"No, but she's hinting, I just ain't sure if I want to be chained down in that way," Jack replied and swigged from the bottle they both shared. Will followed gallantly.

"I see, I didn't think of Anna Maria as the sort to marry,"

"Well, she is, she wants to marry a captain and sail with him as first mate and have his children, I just ain't so sure if that captain is me, or should be me,"

"Do you like her?"

"She's all right when she ain't nagging me all day long!"

"Do you like having her around?"

"Yeah, sometimes," Jack shrugged.

"Would you like her to be the father of your children? Hell, do you even want children?"

"Do I want children….naw, nasty buggers those are,"

"Jack, be reasonable, if Anna Maria figures you to not want her, she'll ditch you and go after a Captain who would," Will replied.

"Like Elizabeth ditching you for Norrington?"

"No, Elizabeth never ditched me, she was trying to save me, there is a big difference,"

"Yeah, I guess your right,"

"Finally!"

"But I still ain't sure this is the best, maybe she aught to go after some other bloke,"

"Like Blackbeard? I had heard he was quite the gentleman,"

"What? No way! She would never…!"

"If she thought it would get your attention…she probably would," Will replied.

"Damn!"

"Damn right!"

"Look at you, your cussing like a pirate! I'm right proud of you boy!"

"Thank you, I try, and since Elizabeth isn't around, I guess I can let it out every now and again, though I try not to make a habit out of it," Will replied.

They swigged from the bottle for a few minutes before Jack opened his mouth once again.

"You don't happen to know where Blackbeard had headed, do you?" he asked.

"No, no I don't, last I heard he was some where near Hawaii, why?"

"Just wondering, I thought I had seen another ship near the Port, with a black flag with bones in a cross and a sword going through them, but now I ain't so sure,"

"What's going on in that world of pirates anyway? There have been more raids in the past six months than ever in the years before I met you,"

"I ain't so sure, it seems to me that all the pirates have gotten together and have formed an armada, which doesn't make sense because pirates are all for themselves, well, some of us are," Jack amend.

"I knew you cared," Will joked.

"Don't you go spreading it about, my line of work is almost through and I shall be the scourge of the Spanish Main once more!"

"I know, but with an armada of other pirates just waiting to blow you out of the water…I would figure that to be quite hard,"

"Indeed, but I am _Captain_ Jack Sparrow, who'd want to blow me out of the water?"

"Blackbeard's armada," Will replied.

"Oh, Har. Har. Har. Hardy. Har. Har. You are so NOT funny!"

"I try, so what are you going to do about it? Pick off all their boats till they figure out you ain't one for them invading your waves?"

"That's what I plan on doing,"

"Good luck, if you die, make sure to haunt me for a bit would you?"

"Course I will! How could I not pass up that?"

"Thanks,"

"Not a problem…"


	4. Chapter 4

**Drinking Tales**

**Summary – More letter's!**

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**Dear William,**

**I am not in the Caribbean any more! I am somewhere near Hawaii; of that I am sure of. But I haven't seen hide nor hair of Blackbeard! Just my luck too when I figure out what he wants! Yes, he wants the location of Isle De Morta. Which makes me feel like an idiot! I should have told him that I knew, and that if he wanted the location he had to give up pirating my waves.**

**Of course, it wouldn't have worked that way; which it hasn't but I have run into his Armada on more than one occasion. I blew thee ships out of the water! It was brilliant! But they weren't too happy and didn't listen to me when I told them that they needed to stop blowing holes in my ship! Honestly, what are they thinking? They could have sunk us!**

**I'm on my way back, I don' want to spend anymore time in their bloody waters than I honestly need too. Which I don't, since there ain't nothing important here anyway! No treasure, and no rum!**

**Which reminds me, Anna Maria threw the rum overboard, now I'm almost sober…I don't want to be sober! Oh well, I'll find some in Tortuga! In fact, why don't you join me? It'll be fun! We'll drink, cuss and fight like the scallywags we are! Bootstrap wouldn't even miss it himself! He loved getting me out of trouble!**

**I'll have to tell you about it sometime! Anyway, I know that the _Island's Mist_ will be coming near, all you have to do is bribe the captain to let you off. Then, you can sail with me for a while and I'll drop you back off at Port Royal after a month or so.**

**Meet me around October first if you can. I'll wait at the _Sulky Dragon_.**

**Cheers Mate, CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow**

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_Captain Jack,_

_Sounds like this Armada is giving you a run for your treasure – which I am not surprised but I do wonder what is really going on. I mean, they haven't attacked Port Royal in months. Before, they attacked every two. It really doesn't make sense, but then again you would know better what they are planning. I'm just a blacksmith…so I wouldn't know much about pirating. But, I'm sure you'd show me!_

_All right, I shall meet you on October first; it seems as if you do need me!_

_Cheers, I'll bring the rum, Will_

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Will happily dropped his letter off at the post office. It would go out as soon as possible and hopefully, Jack would waylay the ship and go through the mail. He did so every month or so, when he could, and since the letter Jack had written was more than six months old; the pirate captain had to be in his own waters at the moment.

At least, will hoped he was; despite the fact the Jack was…a Pirate, was besides the fact. Jack would always be a friend foremost to Will. Jack was also obviously attached to Will and his family and Will couldn't wait to see his friend again. He entered his forge, the fire was going strongly and it was very hot. Will changed from his good clothes and into clothes that he always wore while at the forge.

On the anvil lay a half made sword, of which Will knew would be the very best and most artistic that he would ever make; the age of swords was quickly dying out, but the age would not sink to the depths of Davy Jones Locker without him putting up a bit of a fight for it.

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A/N – This fic is strongly getting a bloody plot! I can't believe it! 


	5. Chapter 5

**Drinking Tales**

**Summary – Pirates being Pirates.**

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Captain Blackbeard; the scourge of the oceans and Gentleman extraordinaire, yelled orders to his men as they engaged with another pirates ship. His flag whipped in the oceans wind as they heaved too, and sent a broadside into the other ship.

Captain Blackbeard smiled grimly as another of his ships came upon the other side of the enemy ship; sails full of the wind and as it passed, another broadside entered the ship sporting black sails. Captain Blackbeard laughed heartily when he heard someone yell..

"_STOP BLOWING HOLES IN ME SHIP!"_

Ah, yes, that was Sparrow all right; the thorn in his side since his hostile take over of the oceans had started just six months before. He had decided that it was high time for him to take over the Caribbean. Find Isle De Morta and gain everlasting life! He knew that he was getting older; he didn't want to die, and he had made a point of not doing so.

His ship rocked as the Black Pearl fired canons into her. He glared at the man who just waved back, black hair whipping in the wind. Blackbeard gave the signal, and his men boarded Sparrows ship; as did the men from _The Bloody Baron_, which was part of his Armada.

Blackbeard smirked; soon, he would add the _Pearl_ to his Armada and kill Sparrow; then he could complete his task and gain his treasure.

_CAPTAIN_ Jack Sparrow dogged a blow, fumbled for his sword and then he drew it out with a flourish before stabbing the man who had been trying to kill him. This fight had taken a turn for the worst and Jack was at a loss as to what he was supposed to do. He had been in tight spots before, he knew, but he had always known what the out come would be.

Still, he didn't see a way to fly with two of Blackbeard's ship pummeling him on both sides, and half of each ships crew attacking his own small crew. The _Pearl_ may not have been a huge ship; but she was moderately sized and so he had gotten a crew to fit her. He now wished he had thought this attack through. _The Bloody Baron_ and _The Knife's Edge_ were two of the most dangerous ships to come across; Especially if Blackbeard himself was captaining.

Roars of the enemy pirates came to his ears as Jack ran another through. He saw Anna Maria and Gibbs doing their best to fight off a group of ten; but it was a lost cause. Jack fought his way over, which took him a while. He had killed five more enemy pirates before he could reach his crew mates.

"Hurry down below!" Jack yelled dogging a sword then slitting the man's throat.

"Load the guns on both sides and fire directly into their powder hatch!" he finished his order's and it was then that the fight on board his ship got worse. Jack took out his pistol and shot a man who was about to stab Anna Maria. She gave him a look before she and Gibbs rushed to the stair way that would lead them down below the _Pearl._

With that, Jack waded into the fight, killing off as many of the enemy pirates as he was trying to save his own crew. A Captains job was always very hard and never done. Jack threw his small dagger into the back of a rather tall and dark pirate, this pirate died on the spot and as he fell to his knees and died…Jack saw that Captain Blackbeard had boarded his ship and was laughing heartily at the carnage that ravaged the _Pearl._

"What do you think your doing?" Jack yelled. Blackbeard smirked at him and drew his own sword.

"Sparrow, I've been waiting for this day," Blackbeard said.

"CAPTAIN! It's CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW!" Jack yelled and ran towards the giant of a man.

Blackbeard was about six feet tall while Jack was over five foot; even with the more burly man beating him back, Jack gave it his best. Flashes of his fight with Barbossa entered his mind as Jack swung his sword in an arch, which was caught by Blackbeard's own sword. Jack swiped at the man; Blackbeard backed off, but the tip of Jack's sword bit him deeply in the cheek and made a jagged cut.

Blackbeard howled in rage and savagely attacked Jack.

Moments later; which was all to long for Jack, the _Pearl_ swayed back and forth as guns from both sides of her rocked back from their bombardment on the enemy ships. A moment later, another "booming" sound could be heard as the _Bloody Baron_ broke out into flames. Jack smirked at Blackbeard.

"Looks like you got yourself some bad luck, mate!" Jack said.

"Not such bad luck as you will have when I get done with you," Blackbeard said and the fight continued on.

Meanwhile, the guns had been loaded again, despite the fighting on the upper deck, and fired once more. This sent a huge hole into the _Bloody Baron_, which started to sink. The black sails of the _Pearl_ unfurled as sailors raced to catch the wind. Jack had spent months training his crew in exactly what they should do in case they ever came up against Blackbeard himself.

Jack found himself near the railings edge of the ship; he wondered if he would be pushed overboard or run through, however, he simply shook up some courage. He couldn't die! He had so much to live fore, and currently, one person to love.

"It's over Jack," Blackbeard smirked, and with that, Blackbeard lunged fowrad intent on running the younger man through. Jack ducked, but not fast enough, the sword made its way through his shoulder. Blackbeard pulled back, his sword covered in blood.

"Your dead," Blackbeard muttered before another rumbling caught his attention. It was then that his own first mate came running to him.

"Captain! The _Knife's Edge_ is pulling away from us, what are your orders?" the First Mate asked. Blackbeard, looked at Jack and then smirked once again before turning and ordering all of his surviving crew back to their own ship.

Jack felt himself falling to his injured side, a grown came from him and then all was darkness.

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Will was not surprised at what he saw as he entered the port town of Tortuga; he had been there just once before, but he didn't bother ogling as he did the year he first visited. The red feather on his hat bobbed in the wind and was the sign that let an almost drunk Jack wave his friend over to an outside table of the Inn he had chosen as their spot to meet.

Jack looked the way he had always looked – the coal around his eyes, balance off kilter, and a bottle of rum in his hand. His clothes were dirty and smelled of several things, not that Jack cared, and the pirate captain was grinning as if there would be no tomorrow.

"Will, I didn't figure you'd come! Seeing as how you ain't a pirating man," Jack said.

"I figured it was about time to help you out," Will said.

"What do you mean?"

"Not here, right now, let's just…not go after women," Will said as he held his friend back when Jack went for a girl in a scarlet dress who had just walked by. The girl turned and slapped Jack in the face. Which made Will remember a similar scene from before.

"I don't think I deserved that," Jack said.

"I believe you did, but never mind that, women just don't know what a charmer you are," Will said.

"Aye! They don't!" Jack agreed and sat back down again. As did Will, they ordered some rum and then got to talking as they waited. They didn't talk about much, but Jack did recount his adventure with Blackbeard.

"How is your shoulder?" Will asked once he heard about the injury.

"It's fine, it hurts now and then, but the ship's doctor says that it'll be goo as new in a couple more weeks," Jack shrugged, he hissed as he felt the pain in his shoulder.

"Jack, why do you think Blackbeard didn't just kill you?" Will asked.

"Probably thought that my living with the pain of his sword and the embarrassment of being beaten by him is enough…for the moment," Jack replied.

"What now?"

"Now, I find where he is operating, attack when they least expect it and kill that devil! Savvy?"

"Sounds like a good plan, but will the _Pearl_ survive?"

"Of course she will! She's the fastest ship in the Caribbean, lad!"

"Of course, I knew that," Will replied.

Jack shook his head and then the two got down to planning for real.

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A/N – All right, first off, the time period between the first part and the second is about two weeks. Please review and tell me what you think? 


	6. Chapter 6

_**Drinking Tales**_

_**Summary – The Visitor**_

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The gentle swelling of the ocean tides rocked the ship back and forth in a gentle swaying motion, which could hardly be felt by those on board. The night sky was clear of any clouds and the stars above Tortuga shone like diamonds that any God fearing pirate would want.

The breeze whistled through the open portal that had been left open by the Captain; said Captain was sitting at the desk just in front of this portal, a bottle of run in one hand, which he guzzled at, while humming to himself. It was late, the Pirate Captain knew that much, he hadn't heard the bell in a long time but he did know that it had rung sometime while his thoughts had run rampant in his mind.

Captain Jack Sparrow took another swig of his drink; before coughing and then leaned forwards; his head made a "Thump!" sound on the desk as he groaned. He groaned over a lot of things over this last night in port. First was the obvious damage that had taken the last week to repair. Next, no black sails could be found, no matter where he and his crew had looked; and finally, they had to do it themselves.

At least; Jack contemplated, he had his rum. It wasn't burned by that Swann (Turner) woman, and he didn't have to tell her that she was right about her signal fire; that still got to him, even after a years time after it had happened. However, he shook himself from his memories…long enough to notice a shadow had come over the window…and that the shadow was breathing…and it held a knife….

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William Turner Junior, woke to a crashing sound coming from the captains cabin.; then yelling that sounded like Jack, and since the Pirate never did much in the way of yelling; at least on such a quiet night such as this…there had to be something wrong!

What had woke him was coming from above him; he could here the stomping of feet on the wood, and an expletive or two coming from Jack himself.

Will jumped out of his bunk, dressed only in his breeches, Will ran out of his cabin and down up the stair well. On his way, he past Anna Maria and Gibbs; who followed without comment.

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Jack ducked the knife once again; his inured side knocking into the corner wall; he hissed in pain but had to duck once again; which brought him to his sword which had lain on the circular table. Jack brandished it, but his _visitor_ wasn't scared. Instead….the visitor brought out a pistol.

Jack gave one look to the assassin, and as the trigger was squeezed tight, Jack wheeled back and landed on the floor. His head knocked heavily against the planking, and a pain burned into his side. Just then, the door to his cabin flew open, and there was Will, brandishing a sword of his own making (which he had grabbed up along the way) and was now intently trying to kill the assassin.

The Assassin was having none of that; grabbed up Jack's own sword and gave just as good as he got. In such a confined space, there was no where that the two could go, but they swung at each other anyway as Ana Maria and Gibbs got Jack out of the way. His side was bleeding profusely and Ana Maria knew that the bullet was still lodged deep within.

Will, for his part, smartly parried a blow from the Assassin, and then swiped the man across the chest. The shirt fell open to reveal a long jagged cut, which was very deep. But the assassin still went at it with Jack's sword. Blow by blow, the assassin thought that he was winning, Will wasn't giving up though. However, everything stopped after a "BANG" and the Assassin fell dead at Will Turner's feet.

Will turned to see Jack, holding his side with his injured arm, but clutching a spent pistol in his good left hand. Jack smiled a little before toppling over. Anna Maria caught the Captain before he could hit his head a second time. Will rushed over and bent besides his friend.

"Someone get the doctor!" Will hollered.

"Someone get the rum!" Jack hollered at the same time as Will. In seconds, both had been fetched and while Jack set about emptying another bottle, the doctor set about getting the bullet out of his side.

* * *

Outside the door of the cabin that led to the deck and helm; Gibbs, Anna Maria and Will stood, waiting for the doctors prognosis. They all had their eyes set on the Tortuga shore line and a frown on their faces.

"You know, this is something worse than just a few pirates wanting to take over your territory," Will said.

"You mean Jack's territory," Anna Maria quipped.

"We have to do something; Jack will never live if Assassin's keep after him like this," Will replied.

"I bet ye it was Blackbeard as did the ordering for Capn's death," Gibbs said smartly.

"Bloody hell! Like we didn't know that!" Anna Maria punched Gibbs in the shoulder, the man just rubbed at the spot but otherwise hadn't noticed.

"What are we going to do?" Will asked.

"If Jack can't Captain than we have to find someone who will," Anna Maria said.

"Now, now, lassie," Gibbs interjected; "We don't know anything yet, let us see what the doctor has to say."

* * *

Meanwhile; at the Salty Inn…Christopher Condent sat with a mug of ail in front of him and his Quartermaster (who was indulging on rum) was reporting his findings about a certain _Jack Sparrow._

"I see'd it with me 'wn eyes I did!" the man said: looking seriously at his Captain. Candent grunted but otherwise didn't make any other sound.

"He shot our man dead in ta middle of ta forehead, saving that whelp 'e picked up earlier ta-day," the Quartermaster ended his story right then and there.

"How bad is Sparrow injured?" Condent asked.

"Bad, in ta middle, I saw ta bullet go inta 'im an everythin',"

"Good, keep an eye on the situation but do not be seen and do not try and finish the job, the _Black Pearl's_ crew will be on the look out," Condent ordered. The Quartermaster went off to do as he was told.

Condent smiled grimly as he relaxed into his seat and ordered another ale.

* * *

"Well," Doctor Martin Sanders, the one and only doctor that Jack could find to sail with him; not to mention the only _other_ carpenter that had been in Tortuga; he whipped his bloody hands on some linen before looking to the group before him. Gibbs, Anna Maria and Will looked like they were about to fall over.

"Captain will be fine, the stitches in his shoulder store badly and I had to redo those again. He didn't get stabbed, thank God, but the bullet did a bit of damage, he;ll have to stay in bed for a couple of weeks,"

"Is he asleep?" Anna Maria asked.

"Drinking, actually, the bottle never got broken," Sanders said and then he went down below to get cleaned up. Jack opened the door with a bang and looked fit to be tied. His shirt was bloody, he had discarded his vest and coat and his hair scarf was slopped to the side.

"I believe," Jack started, "That Blackbeard wants me dead!"

"Jack, we all know that," Will said.

"Maybe I haven't drunk enough," Jack muttered and sauntered his way fully on deck.

"So, we go after Blackbeard?" Gibbs asked.

"Cours' we go 'after him! What else do you lot expect me to do?" Jack asked, he swigged from the bottle he held and swayed as he did so.

"Well, we need to get going then, if we plan on taking Blackbeard's Armada in secret," Gibbs said. Without even a glance from Jack, Gibbs was giving orders to the crew. Anna Maria followed, but she did look a bit worried for Jack.

Will shook his head and also headed off; it wouldn't do to be only dressed in his breeches when there were things to be done. Jack watched them all, he finished off his bottle and decided to get another. He wasn't as drunk as he normally was and he wanted to be good and drunk to be able to do anything that involved taking care of Blackbeard's armada.

* * *

A/N – I just want to thank Nicol for reviewing! I'm glad you like this!

HISTORICAL NOTES – My historical world may differ a lot from both real history and POTC; first of all, I am timing this fic about the time of pirates. I don't know when POTC was timed but it seems as if the movie has its own timing of events. As it is, Christopher Condent was a pirate in real life during the 1700's. I shall put in a bio of him and Blackbeard (Edward Teach) in my next post. I have to find the site that I used to get their info.

Ta,

Poppy

**_We pillage, we plunder, we rifle and loot,_**

_**Drink up me harties, Yo ho!**_

_**We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot,**_

_**Drink up me hearties, Yo ho!**_

_**(A Pirates Life For Me – Disney)**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Drinking Tales**_

_**Summary – The Princesa and the Gentleman**_

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* * *

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_The Princesa_ put out her anchor in Tortuga early that morning; herCaptain ordered for supplies to be loaded as soon as possible so that they could get on their way. The bay about the Spanish ship was empty except for a few other pirate ships. Captain Laurens de Graff knew two of those ships as belonging to Condent and Morgan.

Laurens hadn't counted on seeing those two particular Captains' in Tortuga, but it wasn't his acquaintances that interested him. Instead, the ship that seemed to sail with fog following her, with black sails and a Captain that could be brave and daft by definition caught his attention.

_Captain_ Jack Sparrow – yes, the only pirate that would not join Blackbeard in his bid to control the ocean's. The man who basically spat into Blackbeard's face when he told the Pirate King to bugger off and leave him to get drunk on his own time. Jack Sparrow was an amazing man, if one could call him 'amazing' by just uttering a sentence that sent Blackbeard into a rage.

"Men!" Laurens called in a deep voice that was pleasant to the ear.

"We shall stay here for a few day's load the supplies and then you all have a day of shore leave," he said. The men cheered their Captains kindness before going back to their work with fervor. Laurens stood on the deck, contemplating the ship with black sails.

He had heard about Sparrow's run in with Blackbeard, it was luck that had gotten that pirate through that particular battle. Laurens smiled to himself; maybe, just maybe he would be able to fight Jack Sparrow. Laurens wanted to see if all the legends abut this particular pirate were true.

* * *

Jack lay in his bed, contemplating that he felt nothing, at least, not with all the rum he had drunk. He may have been inured, but he still had no problems captaining his ship. He had made sure that everyone knew that William were to take over if he passed out. But that hadn't happened yet!

Currently, Jack heard Gibbs directing the flow of supplies coming aboard the precious ship; and Anna Maria instructing Will on certain _pirating_ subjects. Such as the correct thing to say when boarding a vessel; of course, Will had never been taught how to swear properly and so Anna Maria was also giving him a lesson on that as well. And by the sounds of it, Will was probably blushing!

Jack tried to sit up; he had to check his map, get a bearing on the last known hiding hole of the Armada and maybe figure out if they needed to stop off at Isle De Morta before hand. However, a sharp pain through his side and shoulder had Jack laying back with a hard sigh. He took another swig of his rum bottle before trying again.

"Bloody arse couldn't 'ave missed…" Jack muttered as he swayed his way over to his charts that sat on the round table in the room. The Captains Cabin was huge; it held a huge bed with careworn linens, blood red drapes over the windows, and the table. Jack had gotten rid of everything that reminded him of Barbossa. Just the thought of that old bugger living in _his_ quarters was enough to send chills of anger down his spine.

Jack tried to calculate correctly through the pain that had flared on his short ten step journey to the table; however, he had done the calculation four times over and finished more than a third more of the already half empty bottle before he decided that he had gotten it right. He wrote these down on a bit of parchment before heaving himself down in the chair off to the side of the table. Then he wondered why he hadn't noticed the chair when he had been looking at his charts.

Jack sighed, knowing that this journey would take him far away from his beloved Caribbean; he didn't want to leave these ice blue waters again, but he had too if he were ever to have the freedom that he so desperately wanted, craved for since he was a boy on the _Barnacle_ with Arabella as his second. He wasn't one for romanticized adventures, or even one for loyalty (unless to the Turners and his crew) but he just knew that this was something that he had to do.

A knock to the door and then it opened slowly; Will put his head in and refrained from asking if Jack was all right or if he needed anything; instead, Will Turner said; "What are your order's, Captain?"

Jack smiled at him and waved at the young man to come into the cabin; Jack picked up the parchment and handed it to Will.

"Take this to Anna Maria; she'll know what to do," Jack said simply. Will gave a nod and left, not sure if Jack wanted to talk or not. Since the attack some three days prior, Jack had been quiet. He didn't sing the jumpy pirate song that Elizabeth had taught him as much as he had before; and it seemed as if he were sad for some reason. In all of his life, William hadn't seen his friend so saddened by anything. Jack seemed unimpressed with Blackbeard and his Armada (albeit, a little worried) and had waved both of the attacks on his ship and his life off with his hand as if they didn't mean a thing.

Will wasn't sure what to do for Jack; the man drank more, swayed about from being drunk, but sometimes he didn't sway so much, sometimes it looked as if he were so sober that he could cry. Sometimes in the morning, when Jack would greet Will, the charcoal was smeared, and Jack wouldn't notice till Anna Maria told him to wash his face.

Will made it to the helm and handed the parchment to Anna Maria; who gave him a look; however, Will shrugged and shook his head. He had no clue what was going on with Jack.

* * *

Captain Laurens de Gaff watched as _The Black Pearl_ unfurled her sails and made way with the high ocean tide; it had taken them all morning to load their supplies, he mused that they must be in some sort of hurry. Which honestly did not surprise him.

Behind him, Captain Condent; a tall man in a prim red coat, with slicked back brown hair, watched as well. Christopher Condent and Laurens de Gaff had been tracking this ship for a while; months at least. She was always too fast for them, and they had lost her many times. Laurens turned to Condent with a small smile on his face.

"Well, I say, they do know how to impress others," Laurens said.

"Indeed; now, should one of us follow them and the other go to Captain Blackbeard? Or should we just follow?" Condent asked. He was put in second next to Laurens, not that he minded, the whole armada got some sort of bounty.

"We shall follow," Laurens said.

"And how do you suppose that we shant lose them again?"

"First, we know where they are going, we shall follow and take them," Laurens replied.

Condent left the _Princesa_ for his own ship; they would follow straight after the _Pearl_, she was the fastest ship in the Caribbean after all. However, the ship wasn't the only thing that Condent wanted.

* * *

When the Captain finally made it on deck; staggering from pain and drink, the sun was all ready setting and they had a good easy to go still. They had left Tortuga behind them with a white wake at their heels. The strong sea breeze blew them on their way and every so often he could here shouted orders from those up in the rigging.

"Jack?" Anna Maria made her way over to him; Jack was leaning heavily on the helm, it was lashed so that it wouldn't move off course, unless someone wanted to change the ships course. Jack looked at her before sighing and swigging from the bottle of rum (his third since the night he had been attacked).

"You should be in bed," Anna Maria said simply.

"Aye, but I had to check," Jack said, forgetting to remind her to call him 'Captain'.

_He must really be out of it then…_Anna Maria thought; "We're fine," she said instead. Jack nodded to her but stood there, not moving, just enjoying what he lived for. _Freedom_. It wasn't a long word, or a short word; it wasn't something that a man just thought because he could. This was even more than just a simple word; Jack knew that he had always fought for his freedom from the bloody Royal Navy; from bloody merchants, and even from other damned pirates such as Morgan and Blackbeard. There hadn't been one instance in his own life history where he hadn't fought for this. Simply this, to be able to stand on the deck of _The Black Pearl_, and enjoy it!

"Ummm…I think we have a problem…" Will called from behind Jack and Anna Maria. Jack wasn't amused to be interrupted, but when the whelp handed him the glass, Jack got the same idea as Will had.

"That ship, off astern seems to be following us and I think there is a second," Will said. Jack looked through the glass, caught site of the flag and then handed the glass to Anna Maria. The ship (or ship's, but they hadn't seen any second ship) was a pirate ship; the flag was all Jack needed to see.

"We should get ready for a fight," he said.

"But you can't fight, Jack!" Anna Maria said.

"I know, but what else am I supposed to do? Hide in me cabin while you lot fight them? Hardly the way I operate, luv," Jack said.

"I know but…"

"There ain't no '**buts**' here, Anna Maria. Savvy?"

"Aye, Captain," she replied. Jack turned to Will.

"If anything happens to me; finish this, I want to be able to die knowing that those scurvy dogs won't take the freedom the Caribbean afforded me while I sailed her waters," and with that, Jack went back to his cabin, to get rid of the pain and to plan.

* * *

It was late in the day when Jack was able to confirm the suspicions of his mates. There was a second ship, which had raised its own Jolly Rodger. He glared at the two ships before swinging to the helm. He unhooked it and gently took his lady to hand. The wind was blowing hard and ahead of them, Jack could see storm clouds.

"Cap'n!" it was Gibbs who came to stand besides him, "What be in ye head?"

"Nothing much," Jack replied with his customary grin. Gibbs raised his eyebrow.

"We sailing into a storm to get rid o' those two ships behind us?"

"That be exactly what is in me head," Jack replied evenly.

"Now, correct me if I be wrong Cap'n; but…won't they follow?"

"That's what I'm hoping," Jack said. Gibbs sighed, he gave up. Even thought he knew a bit about what his Captain was planning…it still didn't help that he never got details.

Jack hadn't thought about giving Gibbs any details; after all, if he knew the details than Jack just assumed that everyone else knew as well. Gibbs walked away to attend to something of no value when Jack reached for his glass again to take another look.

It looked as if the ships were closer than before and the storm clouds were drawing away. He wasn't sure if this meant there would be no storm at all or if his head was playing games with his eyes. He shrugged and then he sauntered over to the helm and lashed it once again.

"All right me maties!" Jack yelled, bringing the attention of most of the crew.

"We be followed by two bloody pirate ships that had no business with us," Jack explained, "So I was thinking of goin' into that there storm to blow them off o' our coarse,"

A cheer rose just then; everyone knew of the two following ship's and they all had a guess as to who it could be. Jack grew grim though, his swaying was more from the ocean's movement of the Pearl, and less of rum.

"I don't pretend to know what'll happen, but I promise to get you lot out of it safely," he said, and then he began to give orders. The black sails were made to catch more of the wind, and in the distance lightning lit up the sky.

Jack himself was stationed at the helm; Will was in the ships forge, repairing what he could before the storm hit them, or Jack hit the storm as it would be said after this little adventure (and by Gibbs himself).

It was almost a dream, Jack decided. He couldn't remember that last time he had done this, he couldn't even remember being so calm. His restless spirit had calmed in the face of this storm, in the face of certain danger and even if they survived this; Danger still called to him. It was like an Opera when Danger called and Jack dare not retreat.

He was no coward; and with this thought strictly stuck in his head, he started to hum. And then the hum turned into words.

"And really bad eggs……drink up, me 'earties, yo ho!" as he sung, a roguish grin came upon his face; which would have made any young lass faint from heart failure.


End file.
